A Promise To Be Kept
by ServantOfMyImagination
Summary: This is the story of another genius alchemist. In many ways, she is just like Edward. One of which, is that she has a promise that she must keep; even if it means giving her life.
1. Seven Years Before

7 YEARS BEFORE

"What? What is this?" I looked at the floor, in horror, at the bloody pool on the ground. Whatever was in the pool, reached out for me, shrieked, and died. I closed my eyes, and woke up in some sort of void. "Where am I?"

I was then confronted by a humanoid figure, with nothing but a mouth. It spoke to me, and opened a door. I saw images, and things I couldn't comprehend. And then, I saw something. A red stone, shining like a diamond drenched in blood. There was something about it that made me reach out to it, and the door slammed shut. I banged on it, but it wouldn't budge. I turned to the figure, who called himself Truth. I called out to it. "Please! Just let me in, just a little more!" The figure grinned at me wildly, and then reminded me of the first principle of alchemy; equivalent exchange. I looked at my arm, but saw that it began deteriorating. Not slowly, as vegetables left out to compost, but in the blink of an eye. And then I was transported back to the dark warehouse where the ritual had been performed, and started spurting blood. I screamed and looked around for my brother. He lost his arms, the ability to walk, and - worst of all- his soul. His body wasn't dead, just sort of vegetative. I screamed, and clapped my hands together; having had the ability to create a transmutation circle with my hands since the age of six. I screamed something; some inane babble directed at Truth. It gave me back his soul and his soul alone, and, in exchange, took my leg. My brother came to, and, bleeding myself, I picked him up and hobbled to the house nearby.


	2. Edward's Discoveries

PRESENT DAY

Dragging my blood-caked body through the grasses of Resembool, I saw a boy; of my own height, which was in no way substantial, and age. I cried out to him, and resisted the urge to totally go unconscious. He looked up from the grave that had captured his thoughts, and sprinted to me. He lifted me as if I weighed the same as a dried leaf, and ran down a path. A house came into sight, and he kicked open the door. An old woman stood inside. Also, a girl, also of my age, held a wrench and prepared to strike him, but saw me in his arms. She quickly grabbed several bandages and cloths and held them to stem the bleeding. The source being my leg: or, rather, the lack thereof. My leg was now missing. A suit of armor, presumably with a person in it, took me out of the boy's arms and laid me onto a cot that resembled a hospital bed. I looked at the boy's splendid red jacket, and realized that it was now heavily blotched with a brownish-red liquid; my lifeblood.

"I- I'm sorry. I must have ruined your jacket." He smiled and told me it didn't matter. Then he saw something sticking out of my pocket. Before he could ask me about it, however, the girl came back. I looked at the boy and gave a worried smile. He reached for one of my gloved hands, and then gave an odd face. He pulled up my sleeve slightly and pulled off my glove. I weakly gasped. "No, please, don't." But he already saw what I'd tried to preserve in secrecy: an automail arm. I muttered, almost silently, "L-leg." He looked down to my one remaining lower limb and pulled up the long pant leg. After he pulled it up past the top of my thick and high soled ankle-boots, he saw the same material. He gasped.

"You have two automail limbs?"

But it was too late for me to answer. The heavy blood loss had taken its toll already. My tongue would not form any words, instead I just nodded, exhausted. He walked to the other side of the bed I was lying on and showed me his automail limbs. I resisted the urge to tear up now that I saw someone who was like me. I didn't scream and didn't cry from the piercingly aching wound, but I did squeeze the boy's hand, the automail one. He had sympathy in his eyes. In my opinion, it was worse than the pain. Then I passed out from the severe blood loss. When I woke up, I felt a severe pain, but I was used to it by now.

The boy and girl began assailing me with questions, such as "What's your name?" "What's in your pocket?" "How'd you get your automail limbs?" "What's in your pocket?" "Where'd you come from?" "What's in your pocket?" I sleepily waved them away while staring at a metal suit in the corner whose head was facing me."

"First, I must get the answers to a few of MY questions. What are your names?" The boy said that his name was Edward Elric, and the girl called herself Winry Rockbell. I raised my arm in the metal suit's direction. "And what is your name?"

The suit waved to me. "Hi! I'm Edward's younger brother, Alphonse!"

I grinned. "Really? I'd be more shocked, but my little brother Laurence is much taller than I." I smiled slyly. "Although, Laurence is tall naturally; he didn't have any help." Edward looked at me strangely.

"What do you mean?'

I looked at him again. "Oh, please, don't insult me. I can see the blood rune from here. So, what, Human Transmutation? Truth took your bodies, right?" Looks passed around the room.

Edward swallowed deeply. "How do you know about that?"

My eyes dampened once again. "My mother died when I was seven. I studied human transmutation with my little brother, who was six at the time. The next year, we attempted it. We failed. Truth took away my right arm. I was the lucky one. It took away Laurence's ability to walk, his arms and his soul. I gave up my left leg for his soul." Winry gave me a pitying look.

Edward shook his head. "How were you able to transmute a soul? Did you use a blood rune?"

I tilted my head to the side quizzically. "A rune? Oh! No, I didn't. When I was young, my father pushed me very hard in my studies. I could transmute without a circle at the age of six." Their eyes widened. "And, Edward…. You're not the youngest person to become a state alchemist. My father was in the military; and when he found that I had so much potential, he stretched it, and pushed me until I was in tears. I became a state alchemist at the age of, oh, a little younger than eight. The government didn't want anyone to know that they had such a young child employed in their military." I could feel their pity once more. "It was grueling work. When my father bailed on my brother, my mother and I… my mother couldn't take the pain. She was a small woman, and very fragile. We came home from a field, and found her in her bedroom. She didn't wake up. We began to study human transmutation." A tear welled in my eye, and slipped down my very lightly tanned face. "Laurence didn't want to; I forced him." I told him the story of what happened to us. "…when he woke up, I picked him up and hopped to the house next door. You'd be amazed what a little bit of adrenaline can do to you."

They made sure that I'd finished. Edward then asked the question that they were all wondering. "What happened this time?"

I sighed. "I went to see Laurence today. I couldn't bear him not having the use of arms or legs, so I restored one of his arms. I had to." I noticed that they were still staring at my pocket.

Before anyone asked what was in it, Edward became suspicious. "How do we know that you're really a state alchemist?"

I grinned and thrust my good hand into my pocket, and pulled out a silver pocket watch, with an emblem on it. They marveled at it.

Edward then pulled Alphonse aside. They started arguing; quietly at first, but progressively louder until I heard Alphonse shout, (which, as I swiftly learned, is something he never does) "WE HAVE TO TELL THEM!" Everyone turned to Alphonse, who was standing over Edward, and Edward was almost bending over backwards to look at Alphonse's face. Edward turned to Winry and the old woman, whose name was apparently Mrs. Pinako.

With a disgusted look on his face, Edward muttered, "It seems that we're going to have to call Colonel Mustang."

My ears perked up. "Roy's coming?" They wheeled around and looked at me, incredulously. "What? His guardian was friends with our parents. When I met him… I was… what, five? He was around 18. Laurence didn't like him so much-" I heard Edward whisper something about Laurence having a good sense of character. I turned and glared. "ANYWAY, Laurence didn't like him so much; Laurence didn't like sharing me, but Roy was always nice to me. When my father split, and my mother died, his guardian took us in. While I was with them, Roy was about 23 when he was called into the Ishbalan War. I was absolutely devastated. It'll be interesting to see him again."

Edward, angrily, asked to borrow the telephone. Winry said yes (of course), and Edward called up Central. After a good deal of talking, Edward hung up. "Mustang will be here in about four hours. In the meantime, you should rest." He seemed rather… irritated.

I turned pale and my eyes began to become wet. "What's the matter? Did I do something wrong?" He turned around, with softer eyes.

"No! You didn't do anything. It'd just that… Mustang and I don't get along well."

I smiled grimly. "He's not such a fan of guys in general. But we got along. He was always nice to me, as I said before." I yawned, and Alphonse gave me a blanket.

Edward shook his head. "You NEED to go to sleep." I nodded sleepily. I laid my head back against the pillow, closed my eyes and let myself slip into a deep sleep.


	3. Enter Roy Mustang

When I woke up again, the Colonel was sitting in a chair next to the bed. Edward was standing, with his arms crossed, in the corner. Roy stood up, trying to hide his concern. "Are you alright?" I nodded. He regained his composure, and became angry at me. "You did it again! How many times have I told you not to even ATTEMPT it?" I could tell that he was more worried about me than he was angry.

"I know, but, Roy… I saw Laurence today." His angry face drained away, and suddenly, he spoke much softer.

"H-how is he?"

"He's doing better… I gave him his right arm back by giving my leg." He grimly smiled.

"I see… Please don't do that again. You've lost so much blood already; I don't know how much more you CAN lose." He was on the side where my human hand resided. He took my hand, and I felt slight pressure being applied. Again, I knew that he was just worried about me. "Well," He said, reluctantly, "It looks like you'll be discharged for about the next year."

I was shocked. "Wait, a whole year? No, I can't! There's too much to do! I'm already adjusted to one automail leg, I can adjust to another! I have to get up! I'm fine! Please, let me get up!"

Edward shook his head. "Just stay there. It'll take at least seven months for recovery. At LEAST. Just wait."

"No! I can't sit and do nothing! I need to find the Philosopher's Stone!" I gasped; so did Edward and Alphonse.

"You're looking for the Philosopher's Stone as well?"

I nodded, and answered him, irritated. "Well, what do you think? My brother and I are in pieces! I'm missing three limbs! He's lost the ability to walk, and he has one arm! This is all we can do!" I calmed down sufficiently, and then resumed. "Guys, I need an automail leg. A regular one won't cut it. Winry, bring the leg. I give myself only a few months, if not just one." Mrs. Pinako seemed almost angry.

"ONE MONTH? You can't survive that; no one can!"

I turned to her, with a determined face on. "Mrs. Pinako… if you knew me better, you wouldn't be so surprised." I turned back to the hand that Roy was holding,

She shook her head. "You're going to go through Hell."

I turned back to her. "I've been through Hell. And I've come back for more." They all stared at me, a new-found respect in their eyes. Except for Mustang. He knew what I could be like.

Alphonse came to me, a small tray of food in hand. "Here, eat up before they put the leg on." I ate it quickly, and he handed me an earthenware cup with something in it. "Here's some milk!" I winced and shook my head.

"Um, no thank you… I really don't like milk."

Winry nodded, knowingly. "So that's why you're so-" I turned to her with a murderous look in my eyes.

"Call me short, and you'll never speak again." I turned, and saw that Edward said the exact thing I did at the exact same moment. I laughed lightly. "I don't know why you're sensitive about **your **height, Edward. You seem tall enough to me." Winry, Mrs. Pinako, Mustang and Alphonse turned to me, a skeptical look in their eyes. "What? Well, he's plenty taller than I am. If I called him… that name… Then it'd be like calling myself that!" Edward walked over, a serious look in his eyes, then bent down and hugged me. "Um… You're welcome, I guess?" I mouthed to Alphonse, "What just happened?"

He answered, silently, "This is a milestone for him. He's never been called tall before."

I smiled, and then faced Winry again. "I'm sorry to try and rush you, but I need that leg put in now, please. I HAVE to recover in a very short period of time." Alphonse and Edward, who finally released me, went to a part of the room that was quieter. They had a hushed conversation. When they'd finished, they came back to me.

Alphonse told me they had decided that being in a group, we'd be more likely to find the Philosopher's Stone. I grinned widely and nodded. "Of course! That would be fantastic!" I turned to Winry again. "Uh, Winry, Mrs. Pinako, could we get that leg on, please? The sooner it's on, the sooner I can recover!" They smiled, but I could tell that they were worried. They instantly began preparing everything. Roy called into Central to inform them of my current situation and state of health.

Edward walked to the side of my bed and asked, in a quiet and sweet voice, what my name was. I smiled. "Mi- Miranda. Miranda Hunt." He nodded.

"Miranda… you probably already know this, but I'm not going to lie to you, and I want to warn you. You are about to go through a lot of pain. But I'll be here, alright?"

I smiled at him, and said, "Thank you, Edward."

"You can just call me Ed."

"…Ed."

Roy came back from the telephone. "Miranda, they told me to advise you against this; told me to tell you that you should get a different kind of prosthetic. Your body can't handle this much strain." I shook my head at him.

"Roy, you know I can't do that. You know that the only kind of prosthetic that can keep up with me is automail." He sighed.

"I wish you weren't so stubborn."

I smiled lightly. "But then I wouldn't be myself, would I?" He sighed again. "Let's just get this over with."


	4. A Painful Operation and a Quick Recovery

I'd like to say that I didn't feel the pain of the operation, that Edward and Alphonse and Roy numbed the sting of the injury. And I'd like to say that the strangers' kindness made this experience worthwhile.

However, as this is a record of truths; a history, as it were, I am bound to tell the entirety of these events. I did feel that pain. I didn't cry, but I held Edward and Roy's hands the entire time.

When it was finished, I was drained of nearly all my energy. I reclined, pale and cold, in the cot. The sheets, which had been white, were now mottled in colour. Dark red and snow white, entwined in a dance, left me with the knowledge that yet more blood was missing; no, taken, from my body.

Ed and Roy told me to sleep; said I should rest. I sighed deeply, and found that rest bestowed itself upon me easily.

When I woke up, Roy was on the phone, informing the military that their two youngest state alchemists had met, and were going to travel together. Edward and Alphonse were outside, sparring to keep their joints limber. I turned to see Winry rinsing a clean rag, with which to wipe the beads of sweat from my forehead. I tried to talk, but it came out more of a groan. She turned her attention to me, and I gave a small smile, and asked how long I was asleep. She placed the rag on my head and told me that I had been asleep for about three days, and that I should go back to sleep. This I refused, saying that I couldn't bear to lie down any longer. She turned, and told me to relax, and then she walked outside. I groaned, irritated that I couldn't do anything. I reached to the bedside and found a book. I opened it, but found that it was illegible due to the water-smudged words. I scoffed in frustration and threw it weakly aside.

After lying down, arms crossed in indignation, for a while, I decided to try my legs. Of course, had anyone been paying attention (as Roy knew very well that someone should be, but he'd assumed that Winry was still present), they'd immediately push me down and probably strap me to the bed. I pulled the sheets off, unbeknownst to Roy, and pulled my legs out from under them. Even though this effort was squandering what little energy I had left, I couldn't stop now. I groaned in pain, but I realized that my feet had hit the floor, judging from the light thud. I put my arms behind my back, and pushed myself off of the bed. I lurched forward, and felt the new leg dig into my flesh. I bit my lip until a drop of blood came. I lifted my old leg, and placed it on the ground, and heard a familiar metallic clank. Then, with quite a bit of effort, I lifted the recently attached leg. It fell like a stone upon the wooden flooring.

I groaned yet again, but felt some form of accomplishment in the fact that I'd beaten the predicted mobility time by about eleven months. I smirked. I did tell Pinako that I wouldn't need a year. I repeated the process until I gripped the handle of the door that led to the outside. I twisted it, knuckles whitening from the pressure I was applying. I hobbled outside, and tried to call out to Edward and the others. It was more of a weak cry.

They turned, and gaped, as the girl they'd thought was bedridden was standing and trying to smile. Alphonse immediately alighted up the stairs to the patio I was standing on, scooped me up, and walked inside. Ignoring my protests, Alphonse dropped me on the cot, and Roy turned, and placed the telephone he was using back onto its cradle. He came over, with a pale face, and grabbed my hands.

He looked into my eyes for a while before speaking in a low, but very stern voice, trying to control his anger. "MIRANDA… What could have POSSIBLY possessed you to do that?" I panted a little, as I was running very short on energy.

"S- sorry… Roy… Didn't want to let Laurie down…" Then I crashed my head into his chest, panting heavily.

He lifted my torso and turned my body to recline on the pillows. He laid one hand behind my head, and the other in my human hand. "Stop it." I looked at him quizzically. "Stop doing this to yourself. Stop blaming yourself to what happened to you and your brother."

"But it was my fau-"

"Stop! Laurence had a choice in all this! He didn't have to help you. What would any child have done if their mother died?"

I shook my head, inconsolable. "Laurence is my little brother. It was my job to protect him! Not to expose him to more pain!"

Roy sighed. "You're only human, you know. You can't keep doing this: pushing yourself farther than you can go."

I smiled weakly again. "Only **half** human, Roy. Only half."

He nodded grimly. "Just be careful, alright? I don't want to have to be the one to tell Laurence that his sister isn't going to be able to visit him anymore."

I then noticed something. "Hey, where's Riza- I mean, Lieutenant Hawkeye? I thought that you guys were inseparable."

He shook his head. "I told her that she wasn't necessary for this. I don't take Hawkeye with me on personal business." I smiled.

"So I'm important enough to merit a day off?"

He smirked. "Are you kidding me? I'm telling them this is your fault." I glared at him.

"Jerk."

He smirked again. "Shorty."

I erupted in a flurry of rage, with a rant involving the fact that I'm not short. It sounded a little something like this: "You (Maternal) (Expletive)! I'm not (Expletive) that (Religious) (Expletive) short! SHUT THE (Fiery Place) (Expletive) UP YOU (String of Expletives)!"

After a good silence consisting of about ten seconds, I coughed awkwardly. "So… Um… I'm just- I'm just gonna shut up now…" Winry, eyes still wide, nodded and handed me a blanket. "Uh… Yeah, thanks… night." I curled up and tried to pretend that they weren't staring at me. I heard Roy tell them that he doubted that I'd need another two weeks to recover fully. I smiled under the blanket. Roy knew me so well.


End file.
